


Relaxing in the Trees

by orphan_account



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Done as a request, F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:46:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24758776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Leliana was tasked with keeping watch over the camp throughout the night. A boring job, but one she was happy to do to help out. Perhaps a certain apostate would be willing to keep her company?
Relationships: Leliana & Morrigan (Dragon Age)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Relaxing in the Trees

Leliana had sat just on the outskirts of the party’s camp, a bow held tightly in one of her hands. Ghelwyn had assigned her as one of the people to watch out for Darkspawn and assassins through the night- after they had been ambushed by Darkspawn in the middle of one miserable night, the group had collectively agreed to take stronger defensive measures against the horrifying abominations. It was a relatively thankless job that everyone in some way took part in. Still, Leliana found herself enjoying it. Years of training as a bard had assisted the redhead in knowing exactly how to fade into the shadows, to relish in knowing you were utterly undetectable until the very moment you chose to reveal yourself. Even if it wasn’t her particular preference in how she performed her bardic tasks, she still found some level of enjoyment and satisfaction in effortlessly becoming one with the darkness that blanketed her. 

Leliana had perched herself upon a particularly sturdy tree branch, hidden above one of the few safe ways into the clearing the camp had been set up in. Apparently, Sten was in charge of watching the other one. Leliana almost found herself pitying any darkspawn foolish enough to attack from his angle. At least she would make their ends quick. Leliana eyed a raven as it flew down upon another branch, one just slightly thinner than the one she herself had perched on. Leliana liked ravens and crows, she wasn’t entirely sure why. Perhaps it was just her love for all animals? Schmooples, sleeping soundly in camp, was evidence enough of her adoration for small, cute things. 

“You know, ‘tis an awfully boring night out, is it not?” A voice, speaking just audibly enough to be heard, cut through Leliana’s musings. The bard almost fell out of the tree she had perched herself in. Glancing back over to the raven, Leliana saw not a bird perched in the leaves, but a human woman. Morrigan.   
“What are you doing?” Leliana hissed across at the apostate. Leliana wasn’t displeased to see Morrigan- far, far from it- but her sudden appearance had certainly thrown the bard off out of her focus.   
“Spending time with you?” Morrigan cocked an eyebrow at Leliana, a small smirk growing upon her features. Leliana shook her head for a moment, a low chuckle rising from her chest.   
“I get that, but did you have to almost terrify me to death?”  
“Leliana, we fight horrifying monstrosities on a daily basis. We see the worst the world has to throw at us. I think you can handle a little jump.”  
“Doesn’t mean I enjoy it.” Leliana grumbled. 

Morrigan draped herself over the tree limb, finding a modicum of comfort on the coarse surface. Leliana watched the mage with interest. It was far more exciting than observing a random leaf blowing through the air for the millionth time that night. What Leliana had heard from the Chantry of apostates and what Leliana had observed in Morrigan were wholly different. The chantry portrayed apostates as horrifying, lawless monsters. People that needed to be kept down, captured, or killed for their own good. Leliana wondered how much of this stance was actually founded in encounters with real apostates.

Morrigan, on the other hand, was an incredibly intelligent, incredibly vibrant, and incredibly beautiful woman. The way that Morrigan matched wits with Alistair, Ghelwyn, or Wynne fascinated her. Even the ways that Morrigan refuted and argued with her own beliefs always gave Leliana something interesting to ponder upon, some new angle to consider that she had yet to think about. It was one of her favourite things about Morrigan, the fact that the woman was wholly unafraid to speak her mind and challenge people on things she saw as immature or useless. It didn’t stop Leliana from wholly believing in the Maker, but it gave her plenty of interesting angles to consider on why people wouldn’t believe in them, even if they had all the proper context. Ghelwyn was similar, but was clearly a lot more careful to not hurt anyone’s feelings on such matters.

“So, what have you been thinking about?” Morrigan inquired, glancing over to the redhead.  
“Uhm… Mostly just random stuff, honestly.”  
“That’s informative.” Morrigan deadpanned, giving Leliana a flat look.   
“It’s the truth. Oftentimes I don’t use these times to ponder the questions of the world.”  
“Then what do you use them for?”   
“Just… relaxing. We hardly have a single moment to just sit and do nothing, any more, do we?”  
“No, we do not.” Morrigan conceded with a nod. “Still, there must be something you do to keep your mind occupied. If you didn’t, I’d imagine you’d start sounding a lot more like dear Alistair.”   
“I usually sing to myself, honestly.” Leliana admitted, “Just mindless enough that I can do it without much effort, just enough work to keep my mind working.”  
“What, like how you sang at camp for us all?”  
“You enjoyed it!”  
“And how do you know that?”  
“I saw you smiling as I sang. No one else was looking, but I saw.”  
“And I thought the reputation of bards as singing spies was misplaced.” 

Leliana laughed quietly, glancing back at the camp to ensure their conversation had not awoken any of the sleeping allies in the tents.   
“It’s more accurate than not, amongst us. Some of us refuse to perform outright, and serve as much more traditional spies, but they’re among the rarest form of our strange numbers. Then again, there’s hardly a uniform order of bards, is there?”  
“Shockingly, I haven’t been to Orlais, so I can’t comment.”   
“The next time I go, I can bring you with me.” Leliana offered.  
“Oh, I cherish the thought.” Morrigan’s tone was laced with sarcasm, but the small, earnest smile upon her features belied her true feelings. Leliana mirrored it. The two broke out into idle conversation, relaxing on their trees until the sun arose over the clearing. It was hardly an eventful night, that much was true. But the company certainly made it an enjoyable one.


End file.
